Kojonup, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Kojonup is a town located 256 km south-east of Perth
, Western Australia
along Albany Highway
.
The name Kojonup is believed to refer to the "Kodja" or stone axe made by Indigenous Australians
from the local stone.
The first European in the area was surveyor Alfred Hillman who arrived in 1837 and had been guided to "Kojonup Spring" by the local Aboriginals. The site was an important staging place on the road to Albany
, and in 1837 a military post was established there for the protection of travellers and the mail.
By 1845 this outpost had grown to support a military barracks, built on the site of the freshwater spring. Today, the barracks still stands on its original site and houses the Kojonup Pioneer Museum. The barracks is in near perfect condition and is one of the oldest buildings in Western Australia. The first farms in Kojonup were set up by soldiers with settlement grants
.
The appointment in 1865 of a mounted Police Constable marked the phasing out of the military presence at Kojonup. By the late 1860s the military had left and the Barracks became a focus for community gatherings, much as it is today.
The town's first Police Station was built in 1869 and the first hotel licence was granted in 1868.
The early economy of the town was initially dependent on cutting and transporting sandalwood
and kangaroo
hunting but by the mid-19th century the wool industry began to boom and by 1906 the shire had 10,500 sheep. By 1989 the shire had seen over 1 million sheep being shorn. To celebrate the importance of the wool industry the town built a one and a half scale model of a wool
wagon; the project was officially opened on Australia Day
in 2001.
Sporting facilities include a golf club with 18 holes, a skate park and a 50 metre outdoor swimming pool, football oval and hockey oval.
There are a few services in Kojonup, including some accommodation, cafes, a library and an RAC qualified branch along the Highway.
Other attractions are Kodja Place and its rose maze which show the town's history in a fun family way.
Population of Shire: 2,151 according to 2006 Census.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
along Albany Highway
Albany Highway
Albany Highway is a generally northwest-southeast highway in the south of Western Australia which links the state's capital Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany. The highway is approximately in length, is designated State Route 30 and separates Western Australia's Great Southern region from...
.
The name Kojonup is believed to refer to the "Kodja" or stone axe made by Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
from the local stone.
The first European in the area was surveyor Alfred Hillman who arrived in 1837 and had been guided to "Kojonup Spring" by the local Aboriginals. The site was an important staging place on the road to Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, and in 1837 a military post was established there for the protection of travellers and the mail.
By 1845 this outpost had grown to support a military barracks, built on the site of the freshwater spring. Today, the barracks still stands on its original site and houses the Kojonup Pioneer Museum. The barracks is in near perfect condition and is one of the oldest buildings in Western Australia. The first farms in Kojonup were set up by soldiers with settlement grants
Soldier settlement (Australia)
Soldier settlement refers to the occupation and settlement of land throughout parts of Australia by returning discharged soldiers under schemes administered by the State Governments after World Wars I and II.- World War I :...
.
The appointment in 1865 of a mounted Police Constable marked the phasing out of the military presence at Kojonup. By the late 1860s the military had left and the Barracks became a focus for community gatherings, much as it is today.
The town's first Police Station was built in 1869 and the first hotel licence was granted in 1868.
The early economy of the town was initially dependent on cutting and transporting sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
and kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
hunting but by the mid-19th century the wool industry began to boom and by 1906 the shire had 10,500 sheep. By 1989 the shire had seen over 1 million sheep being shorn. To celebrate the importance of the wool industry the town built a one and a half scale model of a wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
wagon; the project was officially opened on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
in 2001.
Sporting facilities include a golf club with 18 holes, a skate park and a 50 metre outdoor swimming pool, football oval and hockey oval.
There are a few services in Kojonup, including some accommodation, cafes, a library and an RAC qualified branch along the Highway.
Other attractions are Kodja Place and its rose maze which show the town's history in a fun family way.
Population of Shire: 2,151 according to 2006 Census.